Hansen named 16th District committeeman, Bishop deputy

Elizabeth Bishop, of La Salle, has been appointed as the 16th Congressional District Republican deputy state central committeeman.

The committee is the governing body of the Illinois Republican Party and is comprised of members elected from each of Illinois’ 18 congressional districts. Each elected member appoints a deputy to serve alongside him or her to provide continuity to the committee.

Bishop’s appointment was made by Aren Hansen, the Grundy County Republican Central Committee chairman and newly elected 16th District state central committeeman. Hansen’s election followed a vacancy on the committee created by the resignation of former State Central Committeeman John McGlasson, who held the position since 2012.

In addition to Hansen, Larry Smith, of La Salle County, applied for the position. The two candidates were interviewed over Zoom by the 12 other Republican county chairmen from the district. Once the vote was tallied, Hansen had won. The vote was weighted as determined by the number of Republican primary voters who cast a ballot in each county during the previous Republican primary election.

“I’m honored and excited to represent 16th Congressional District Republican voters on the ILGOP’s State Central Committee,” Hansen said in a press release Monday. “There’s no shortage of work to be done for Republicans in Illinois, and I look forward to contributing my energy and talents not just in Grundy County but now at the state level as well. Liz’s broad range of experience and enthusiasm will be a welcome addition to this endeavor.”

Bishop was elected as a Republican precinct committeeman in La Salle in 2020.